AATB regularly distributes email announcements to inform membership and others in the tissue banking community of the Association’s activities, and to provide general tissue banking updates.

Introducing...Guide To Medical Examiner and Coroner Cases for the Donation Community​

Published on: October 09, 2018

The American Association of Tissue Banks and the Eye Bank Association of America recognize the critical role that death investigators play in donation. Many potential donors are under the jurisdiction of a medical examiner, coroner or forensic pathologist. Lack of standard procedures, training or practices promoting the preservation of evidence can contribute to the death investigator decline, or restriction, of donation.

Announcing the AATB Website Refresh

Published on: October 01, 2018

Over the past several months, we have been working on a website refresh to improve the content and user experience on our site. We are excited to announce that the refresh is now live! Visit aatb.org to view the changes and improvements. You can also learn more about the refresh below.
Why has the website been refreshed?
AATB's website has undergone some changes in order to pave the way towards a more user-friendly site.
What changes have been made?
As part of the website refresh, you might notice the following changes:​

AATB is pleased to announce that tissue recipient, Bill Bourbeau, has been selected to represent AATB as a rider on the 2019 Donate Life Rose Parade Float. Bill was nominated for this opportunity by We are Sharing Hope SC, an AATB-accredited organization based in Charleston, South Carolina.
Bill is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former law enforcement officer in both Florida and South Carolina. He received a tissue transplant after he was involved in a serious automobile accident on March 19, 2014.

Introducing the AATB News Brief

Beverly Bliss, MBA, CTBS to Join AATB as Vice President of Standards and Accreditation

Published on: September 11, 2018

Beverly Bliss will soon be joining AATB as the Vice President of Standards and Accreditation. She comes to AATB from RTI Donor Services (RTIDS), where she serves as Vice President. Beverly worked at RTIDS since 2005, and was responsible for the operational activities of donation authorization, recovery, after care and contractual relationships with organ and tissue recovery agencies throughout the United States.

Updated Privacy Policy

Published on: August 09, 2018

Dear AATB Member,
Your privacy is important to us at the American Association of Tissue Banks, so we wanted to let you know that we’re updating our Privacy Policy. The changes will go into effect immediately.
We haven’t changed our practices regarding collection, use, and sharing of data. Our new Policy is simply intended to provide you additional details on what we do with your information when you interact with us . Specifically, the Policy explains:

Non-transplant Code of Ethics Now Available

Published on: August 08, 2018

It was observed that the long-standing AATB Code of Ethics is geared only towards activities relating to tissue transplantation, and does not address common non-transplant activities, such as research and education. In response to this identified need, the AATB NADO Ad-Hoc Committee created a policy that included other aspects of donation, research and education.

Meet the New AATB Team Members

Published on: August 02, 2018

We are excited to announce two new additions to the AATB team. These two exceptional individuals have only been with us since July, but have already introduced fresh perspectives and new energy to the office, as well as expertise in their respective specialties. You can read more about Julie and Valerie below.

Contests and Awards

Published on: May 07, 2018

The AATB is currently accepting submissions and nominations for several opportunities. You can read a brief description of each opportunity below, and access more information and the online submission sites using the included links.
NOW OPEN!
Rose Parade Sponsorship Nominations
Nominations are now being accepted for AATB's Rose Parade sponsorship contest. Each year, AATB sponsors one tissue recipient from an accredited institution to have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ride on the Donate Life Float in the Rose Parade.

Certified Specialist Recertification Guide and Free Overview Webinar

Published on: April 23, 2018

The new AATB Certified Specialist Recertification Guide outlines the updated policies and procedures for maintaining a Certified Specialist (CTBS/CRCS) designation. Several changes have been made to the process, including a simplification of the continued education categories, a revision of the online portal submission fields, and a revision of the certification delinquency policies and timelines.
Join us for a FREE webinar on May 9th to review the changes which have been made, the rationale behind these changes, and how it will impact your next recertification.

The 2018 CTBS Exam Prep Course is now open for early registration!

Published on: April 16, 2018

You can now sign up for new and improved CTBS Exam Prep Course! This year's course will offer twice the content at a 60% lower member price than previous years. These on-demand presentations and course materials will be accessible online from May 16th – October 13th.

The AATB is pleased to announce the 2018 Guest Judges for the AATB Communication & Education Awards. The AATB Communication and Education Awards are designed to share ideas and best practices and reward innovation and creativity among AATB membership. The 2018 judges are professionals from around the country who represent a wide variety of professional interests.

AATB Statement Regarding Cryostorage Tank Failures

Published on: March 22, 2018

The American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) is committed to the health and safety of all donor tissue recipients, as well as the safe storage of personal reproductive tissues including sperm, eggs, and embryos.

AATB President and CEO Frank S. Wilton, CAE, IOM Appointed Chair of Donate Life America Board of Directors

Published on: January 11, 2018

MCLEAN, Va. (January 2018) - The American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) is pleased to announce that President and CEO Frank S. Wilton has been appointed as Chair to the Donate Life America (DLA) Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2018. This will be the first time a representative from AATB has served in this role, which has a term of two years. Wilton has served as a member of the DLA Board since 2013.

The AATB Board of Governors has approved revisions to the Accreditation Policies for Transplant Tissue Banks (Policies). The revised Policies are made available today and become effective in ninety (90) calendar days on Tuesday, June 28, 2016. Compliance by accredited transplant tissue banks is expected by this date.

Use of the Self-assessment Tool/Audit Report (STAR) Discontinued

Published on: November 30, 2015

Pursuant to a recommendation made earlier in 2015 by the Accreditation Committee and approved by the Board of Governors, the American Association of Tissue Banks (AATB) has discontinued use of the Self-assessment Tool/Audit Report (STAR) as well as the need for AATB to pre-approve an audit tool if different from the STAR. To maintain consistency for membership, each version of the STAR has been replaced with the relevant Pre-Inspection Checklist (i.e., for a Tissue Bank, for a Tissue Distribution Intermediary, and for a Non-transplant Anatomical Donation Organization).